Super Bowl open thread

posted at 10:30 am on February 6, 2011 by Ed Morrissey

And so it comes down to two of the most storied franchises in the NFL, both named after working-class occupations in working-class towns. The Green Bay Packers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in perhaps the most impressive Super Bowl environment yet, the billion-dollar stadium that Jerry Jones built for the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers bring three previous Super Bowl titles to the game, along with nine other league championships, but none more recent than 1996′s Super Bowl. The Steelers bring six Super Bowl championships in seven appearances, including two in the last five years.

So far this season, I’ve gone 66-40 for regular-season picks and 7-3 in the playoffs. This game will be tough to call for many reasons. Obviously I’m backing the Steelers — if you’ve ever read an NFL open thread, you know that much — but I like the Packers as well. They’ve played as tough as anyone in the last several weeks, and the Pack got to Dallas by winning three games on the road in the playoffs. The last team to do that? The Pittsburgh Steelers, in the 2005 season, and they won the Super Bowl. They’re a fast team playing on turf, and their O-line is healthier than Pittsburgh’s.

But Pittsburgh has some advantages. First, this is their third Super Bowl in six years, with 18 players having been together for all three. They had to beat tough defenses to get here, especially the Ravens. Green Bay beat the Bears defense to win their conference, but they haven’t seen a defense of the Steeler’s caliber in the playoffs. Pittsburgh has a better run game and may be able to limit Aaron Rodgers’ number of opportunities through ball control, while the Steeler D should force Rodgers into passing through a superior run defense.

This should be a great game, a close game, and it may come down to the team that has the ball last. I’m picking the Steelers to beat the Packers by a touchdown, 27-20.

Blowback

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I loved the little Darth Vader ad. So like a dad to mess with his kid’s head like that.

Lily on February 6, 2011 at 11:31 PM

See if you can find the longer version online; much better. Had texted my son, a big Episode IV and V fan, VI without the Ewoks, VII, VIII and IX, not so much; have to say the version shown was rushed and disappointing by comparison.

Anyone else find themselves fumbling for the remote when some of those commercials came on? I had some tykes watching the game and although I knew the GoDaddy commercials were coming, there were some others where I was desperately trying to refocus the kids attention.

“Ohhhh heeyyyyyy, uh, look at Daddy jumping up and down and waving the terrible towel. Just turn around and look at daddy. Now.”

Come on, A.L.T. – what part of over 100 don’t you get? And no, I am not a Sox fan. Been cheering for the Scrubs since about 1968, and watching as each year they become more of a pathetic, inexplicable joke and a blight upon the face of professional sports. As a franchise, they have redefined inept.

Thanks. I sing and I have a major problem with people that over-embellish the National Anthem.
If you wanna play diva-do it someplace besides the SSB.
I was to busy grousing about her ‘stylings’ that I wasn’t hearing the lyrics

Overall, I was struck by the sense that the NFL is the sleaziest professional sport in America — fully embracing the worst and scummiest aspects of our sickening ghetto culture…starting with their celebration of rapist Ben Rotlessbummer and continuing with a whole series of commercials which were written by and for high school sophomores.

Come on, A.L.T. – what part of over 100 don’t you get? And no, I am not a Sox fan. Been cheering for the Scrubs since about 1968, and watching as each year they become more of a pathetic, inexplicable joke and a blight upon the face of professional sports. As a franchise, they have redefined inept.

Jaibones on February 6, 2011 at 11:38 PM

It know. They sux.
I was just having some fun with you.
I used to have a blue/white Cubs cap that was all but glued to my head. I was never without it.
Late last summer it disappeared. The joke is that it was the victim of a mercy killing.
///

Anyone else find themselves fumbling for the remote when some of those commercials came on? I had some tykes watching the game and although I knew the GoDaddy commercials were coming, there were some others where I was desperately trying to refocus the kids attention.

“Ohhhh heeyyyyyy, uh, look at Daddy jumping up and down and waving the terrible towel. Just turn around and look at daddy. Now.”

Bishop on February 6, 2011 at 11:38 PM

And I thought I was the only prude. /
Was watching it with my wife, and I commented how poor it was for some of these to be shown when the NFL, Fox, the specific advertiser, and anyone with a brain knows young children are watching. The only positive was no ED commercials for this game…unless I missed that one.

Anyone else find themselves fumbling for the remote when some of those commercials came on? I had some tykes watching the game and although I knew the GoDaddy commercials were coming, there were some others where I was desperately trying to refocus the kids attention.

“Ohhhh heeyyyyyy, uh, look at Daddy jumping up and down and waving the terrible towel. Just turn around and look at daddy. Now.”

Bishop on February 6, 2011 at 11:38 PM

I have always hated that football has all those beer and boobs commercials. This year not so many beer spots as usual, but the boobs were out in force.

Then again when your kids get older you can explain, like my hubby did to our son, “You know GoDaddy has nothing going for it if they have to have half naked women shilling for them.”

Anyone else find themselves fumbling for the remote when some of those commercials came on? I had some tykes watching the game and although I knew the GoDaddy commercials were coming, there were some others where I was desperately trying to refocus the kids attention.

“Ohhhh heeyyyyyy, uh, look at Daddy jumping up and down and waving the terrible towel. Just turn around and look at daddy. Now.”

Bishop on February 6, 2011 at 11:38 PM

I watched it at a church and there was much scrambling during those ads.
The pastor wasn’t thrilled with the couple on a date Pepsi max ads either.

There were two of them for me, an early commercial for Lipton Brisk tea, and then late in the game with Kim Kardashian doing an ad for Pepsi. I was like “Whaaaaat?” It’s Pepsi and iced tea for Gaia’s sake, can’t they tone it down a little bit?

I watched it at a church and there was much scrambling during those ads.
The pastor wasn’t thrilled with the couple on a date Pepsi max ads either.

annoyinglittletwerp on February 6, 2011 at 11:46 PM

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me, the one that I responded with that comment to my wife. Incredible. Clueless, in that Chevy honked off older people with its first Cruze commercial, and Frito Lay (owner of Pepsi) is running big risks with potential reaction to that one.

Horse racing is great. I was at last year’s K-Derby on the infield and won some good coin in both the big race and Oaks Day.

Bishop on February 7, 2011 at 12:01 AM

I’m a “fan” in the fanatical sense. I have an online stable that I maintain, I go to the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland every year, The Arlington Million every year, went to the BC at Churchill last November and will go again this year. I’ve been to Saratoga, Santa Anita for the 2003 BC, there is nothing I would rather do than go to the track.

The horses are the consumate atheletes–speed, power, beauty, and grace of which human athletes can only dream. I’ve been on the backside, met the jockeys, trainers, et al.It is a world unto itself.

And congrats on your Derby hit last year. I cashed a $100 bet for a little over $1250 myself.

Dire Straits on February 7, 2011 at 12:12 AM
Greetings
Mike’s on his way to TX…and a few nights ago I got into it with another commenter that I thought I was on good terms with. It shouldn’t bother me-but it does.
Anyway-enough of that.
Mike should be in TX late tomm. or early Tuesday.

Great job, Packers, and congrats Green Bay fans! I really liked the play where Matthews lowered the pads and forced Mendenhall to fumble. Was waiting for Clay to make a game-changer all night long, and he didn’t disappoint!

I was betting on ‘mother-in-law’…did I mention that we live with mother-in-law?
Your clip was great.

annoyinglittletwerp on February 7, 2011 at 12:26 AM

Glad you enjoyed it. Naming race horse can be a tricky game. They have to be approved by The Jockey Club, and they can be strict at times, beyond the basic rules. Suggestive names are scrutinized very closely. Mike Pegram owned a horse that he named Hoo Farded. He got it by the JC by pointing out that “fard” has something to do with a french word that has to do with applying make up. I watched the race that Hoo Farded won (on video) and it was pretty funny. “it’s Hoo Farded by a nose”

I dunno. The crews wanted me to come down with him.
I said no because while we live with his mother we’re all adults. I have a responsibility to keep day to day things running at our end….and 2 cats alive.
If the 2 weeks go well I s’ppose I’ll need to go down to scope thing out…like a place to live.

I’m nowhere near a horse racing expert, but I got a tip to play the jockey rather than the horse, at least in the premier Derby race.

Calvin Borel came through for me big time.

Bishop on February 7, 2011 at 12:28 AM

I played Super Saver because he had run well in the slop, and it was sloppy that day. Same with Paddy O’Prado. His workout videos showed that although he was a grass racer, he loved running through the sloppy main track. I threw in Ice Box at the end because he was a late closer. They benefit from a fast early pace and the Derby almost always has a brutal early pace.

Interesting fact about those horses:
Out of all of the top three finishers, only Paddy O’Prado went on to any accomplishment. Super Saver ran third in The Preakness then never saw the money again. Ice Box was a complete flop from that point forward. Only Paddy O’Prado went on to perform well (and still is) and he went back to the grass for his success.

I figured any guy that could win on a 50-1 horse was the one to choose. I got smoked on perfectas during Oaks Day, and winning small on WPS early on Derby day, so I figured what the hell why not go for it big.

I figured any guy that could win on a 50-1 horse was the one to choose. I got smoked on perfectas during Oaks Day, and winning small on WPS early on Derby day, so I figured what the hell why not go for it big.

Bishop on February 7, 2011 at 12:49 AM

You’re right in a lot of ways. An interesting stat about Borel: He has an exceptional win percentage at Churchill on the main track. Pretty good at Oaklawn also. But on grass courses and at other tracks around the country his win rate drops dramatically. They often talk about “a horse for the course”, meaning a horse that likes running at a certain track, but there are also jocks that do better at certain tracks. Borel knows Churchill’s main track better than anyone since Pat Day. And I don’t care what anybody tells you, local jocks know the track better than the riders that ship in from out of state.

BTW, Bishop,
Mike Smith won at 50-1 on Giacomo four years prior to Borel’s ride on Mine That Bird.
That was a monster payout. MTB at 50-1, Closing Argument at 70-1 for second, Afleet Alex at 9-2 for third, and a horse whose name I can’t remember got fourth at 18-1. The superfecta paid over a million bucks. Sweeeeet. If you hit it.

Yep, the socialists won’t want to give up their CONTROL and POWER over the chattering class. They’ll have their MSM minions out in full force lying about anything and everything. No one will be safe from their ridicule, only somewhat inoculated…